Switch



Oct. 6, 1936. D G, SM1-:LME 2,056,743

SWITCH Original Filed July 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Ti mm A TTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH Donald G. Smellie, Canton, Ohio,assignor to The lHoover Confpany, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio vApplication July 9, 1932, Serial No. 621,553

Renewed October 23, 1933 5 Claims. (Cl. 20G-17) The present inventionrelates to electric switches and particularly to amulti-circuit-controlling switch. More specically the invention consistsofa simple electric,switch comprising a plurality of moving contactswhich are selectively operated by a single manually controlled lever forthe purpose of controlling the electrical circuits to which the switchis connected.

It is an object of the present invention toprovide a new and novelswitch adapted to control a plurality of circuits. It is a furtherobject to provide a low voltage electric switch comprising a pluralityof moving contacts selectively operated by a single manually controlledlever. It is a, still further object to provide an electric switch ofnovel and simple design Y which is adapted to control a high and lowspeed electric motor. These and other morel speciiic objects willappearupon reading the following specication and claims and uponconsidering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which theyrelate.

In the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present inventionare disclosed:

Figure 1 is a top view of the switch comprising the present inventionpositioned within a hollow tubular member such as a handle and connectedin the high and low speed circuits ci an electric motor which is notshown;

Figure 2 is a view upon the section line 2--2 of the switch shown in theFigure 1 with the tubular housing partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a section through the switch shown in Figure 2 and upon anenlarged scale, being taken upon the line 33 of Figure 4;

Figure 4 is an end view of the switch shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section uponvthe line 5-5 of Figure 6 showing a modifiedembodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a side view of a modified embodiment of the presentinvention, certain parts being broken away; 1

Figure 7 is an end view of the modification of the invention shown inFigures 5 and 6;

Figure 8 is a side view, with certain parts broken away, of a stillfurther modication of the present invention;

Figure 9 is a view taken upon the section line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Referring to Figures l to 4 in particular, a

switch constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresentinvention is shown embodied in a hollow tubular metallic handle I of thetype found in small tools and apparatus such as suction cleaners andfloor polishers. The switch is indicated generally by the referencecharacter 2 and is shown positioned within the member I. Acurrent-carrying conduit 3 extends into the handle where its wires aresuit- 5 ably connected, one wire 4 going directly to the switch whilethe second wire 5 extends through the handle l and into electricalconnection with the unshown electrical motor from which return the leadst and l, each of which is connected to the switch 2, and which, whenelectrically connected to the lead l pass current through either thehigh or the low speed winding of the driving motor. In the drawings theleads 4 and 5 are denoted as Supply and Common, the return leads 6 and lfrom the motor being indicated by the terms Low and High. In connectionwith the general arrangement of the switch within the hollow handle I itis to be pointed out that both the 2@ conduit 3 and the switch 2 arecarried upon a removable cover plate 8 which is suitably secured overthe opening 9 in the handle by means such as screws IU, Ill.

Switch 2 comprises a laminated body II which is preferably formed ofmaterial such as rectangles of fibre but which is in all eventsinsulating material. As shown, body II comprises pieces of bre suitablysecured together .by a metallic frame member I2 which extends along theunderside of the body and upwardly at one end thereof, being suitablysecured thereto as by screws I3, I3.

Body Il is formed with spaced cavities I4a and I4b, the upper edges ofwhich are concave. Within each cavity is a roller contact of metal,indicated by reference characters I5a and I5b, which is adapted to moveacross the concaved edge and which is spring-pressed thereagainst bymeans of the libre plunger or tumbler IS. Each plunger comprises aforked lower end which slidingly encloses a pin I'l carried by apartially rotatable pinion or actuator I8 which is itself mounted upon apin I9 carried by the body II. A short spiral force-receiving andexpending spring encloses a portion of each plunger I6 and, throughbeing in contact at its lower end with the pin I1 carried by theactuator I8, forces the plunger upwardly against the roller I5a or I 5bto hold it against its concave guideway and also to force it thereacrosswith a snap action as actuator I8 is rotated. Frame I2 is provided withopenings 2l, 2l immediately below each actuator I8 through which a partof the body of that member extends in order tion, that is near thecenter of the switch, are

the stationary contacts 23 and 24; and with the contact |5a seatedagainst these two contacts electric current can ilow therebetween.Contact 23 is connected by means of the current-carrying bar 25 tocontact 26 which is positioned so as to contact I5b in its outerposition while contact 24 is connected through bar 21 to contact 28which is adapted to be contacted by contact I5b in its inner position.The incoming current-carrying lead 4 is shown to be-directly connectedto contact 26, and so through the bar 25 to contact 23. Independentcontacts 29 and 30 are positioned so as to receive and contact theflying contact I5b and are spaced so as to be placed in series by thatcontact with the stationary contacts 23 and 26, respectively. The lead 1which is connected to the high speed winding of the motor is shownconnected to rcontact 29 while the lead 6, connected to the low speed'winding of the motor, is connected to the contact 30.

In order to selectively actuate the moving parts of the switch a new andnovel arrangement is provided which comprises a U-shaped controllerslide 3| carried immediately below body II bymeans of two U-shapedmembers 32, 32, the upwardly extending arms of which are -carried at thesides of the body by the pivot pins I9, I9 of the actuators I8, I8.Slide 3| is provided between its endswith spaced, upwardlyprojectingilngers 33, 33 spaced apart by a distance unequal to that separatingvpins I9, I9, and which are adapted to extend within the normal radiusof the bodies of the actuators I8, I8 which are provided with cut-awaysectors 34, 34 for the purpose of receiving the ilnger members.v As isclearly apparent in the drawings` the sectors 34, 34 are sutllcientlywide to permit the fingers 33, 33 to enter, for the purpose ofcontacting a side thereof, and also to permit it to leave the sectorafter having rotated the actuator sutliciently. The relationship issubstantially one of pinion and rack, the actuator I8V being the pinionand the slide 3| being the rack having atooth 33. In order to move theslide. a manually operable lever 35 is provided which is pivotallymounted at 36 within a downwardly opening slot 31 in body II, the slotbeing suillciently large to permit the necessary angular movement of theactuatinglever.

A transverse pin 38 connects the lever to thea slide 3| at the point atwhich it extends therethrough. 'Ihe operation of the switch is extremelyt simple, there being three 'possible positions of the actuating lever35 which can so varyv the relationship of the contacts of the switchthat the motor to which they `are connected will be either disconnectedfrom the line, willv have its low speed winding in the line, or willhave -its high-speed windinglin the line. As viewed in Figure 2, theactuating lever 35 is in its extreme left position and the actuators Il,I3 have been pivoted clockwise resulting in the movement of the flyingcontacts. Contact |5a is in its outer position in which it is entirelyout of the election has resulted in the moving of slide 3| to the right.The left hand nger 33 has contacted the sector 34 of the actuator I8 ofthe roller contact |5a and has pivoted that actuator in acounterclockwise direction resulting in the movement of the rollercontact from its outer to its inner position where it is held by thespring 20. The right hand nger 33 has just entered the sector 34 of theactuator I8 of the roller I5b and no movement of contact I5b has takenplace,

it having remained in the position shown in Figure 2. With 'the switchin this relationship the incoming current passes from lead 4, throughthe bar 25 to contact 23, across roller contact |511. to contact 24,across bar 21 to contact 23 and thence across roller contact I5b tocontact 29 which is connected to wire 1 which is, con- It is clear thatin this relationship the motor will run at high speed.

'Ihe third position of the switch is not shown but is believed to beobvious. In the third position the lever 35 will be pivotedto itsextreme right position which/will be a displacement upon fthe right ofits center position which isequal to that upon the left shown in Figure2. The pivoting of the lever 35 to the right from the position shown inFigure 3 will result in the further movement of slide 3| to the right.Finger 33 which is in registrationA with sector 34 of the actuator I8 ofcontact I5b will pivot that member in a counterclockwise positionresulting in the movement of roller contact I5b from its inner lpositionto its outer position'in which it will seat against contacts 26 and 30.

ilying contact I5b into contact 3U and from that member tothe lead 6,which is connected to the low speed winding of the motor. In this lastrelationship the motor will .clearly rotate at low speed. It is to benoted that roller contact 15a remains in the position shown in Figure 3but is not apart of the electrical circuit through the motor. i

In the modlcation of the present invention shown in Figures 5 to 7,inclusive, the general arrangementu of the switch comprising `theinvention` is substantially the same, certain changes having been madeto accommodate a slightly -diierent slide mechanism. According tothepresent embodimentthe slide 3| is not carried by U-members 32, 32 but isinstead provided with inwardly extending lugs 40, 40 etc. whichslidingly seat upon the upper edge of the sides Iof 'the frame nemberI2. vThe upstanding fingers 33, 33 of the ilrst described embodimenthave been replaced by inwardly-extending ngers 4I, 4| which areu adaptedto'engage recess sectors 42, 42 which are positioned at the top of theactuators 43, 43 o! the present-embodiment. 'Il

In this j relationship itv is clear that current enters through the leadwire 4 into contact 26, across l nected to the high speed winding of themotor.

Actuators 43, 43 differ from actuators I 8, I8 in the first embodimentin that each formed as a U -shaped member having a central portionextending across the width of the body Il, each end of the actuatorbeing pivoted upon a pivot pin I9 and the rotation-limiting arms 44, 44being positioned upon the opposite side of the switch body from thatportion of the actuator,

containing the sector 42, 42. The actuating lever is again pivotallymounted and extends downwardly through an opening 45 in the slide 3|and, upon being pivoted, slides that member to the right or to the left.The actuation of the moving contacts I5a and |5b is the same as thatdescribed in connection with the rst embodiment and it is believed thatreference to that description will make evident the operation of thepresent embodiment.

Referring nowto Figures 8 and 9, a still further embodiment of theinvention is disclosed which, in its broad outline, resembles theembodiment rst described. In the present instance, however, the switch 2comprises a molded body Il which is made up of two halves rather than aplurality of laminations, the halves of the body being secured togetherby means of pins 5U, 50. 'Ihe actuators are substantially identical withthose described ln the first embodiment and are indicated by the samereference character I8, I8. The slide 3| of the present embodimentcomprises a slotted plate slidably mounted within an internal. guideway52 which is formed in the body and in place of the upstanding ngers 33,33 of the rst embodiment, or the inwardly extending lingers 4I, 4l ofthe second embodiment, the laterally-extending bars 5I, 5| are providedwhich are positioned so as to perform the identical functions performedby the fingers 33, 33 in the first embodiment. In the present instance,the points of attachment of the wires 4 and 6 have been brought to theoutside of the body Il and at the end thereof. In operation this body isidentical with that lrst described.

I claim:

1. In an electric switch, a body of insulating material formed withspaced cavities, stationary contacts at spaced points, movable contactsin each of said cavities adapted to contact certain of said stationarycontacts, contact actuators in each of said cavities and includingspaced portions which alternately project from said cavities in the endpositions of said actuators, means mounting said actuators for limitedrotary movement, a manually operable controller slidably mounted on saidbody adjacent said cavities and provided with parts adapted to contactthe projecting portions of said actuators, characterized in that uponthe movement of said controller with a part in contact with a projectingportion of one of said actuators the movable contact operated by thatactuator is moved to a new position and the aforesaid projecting portionmoves out of the path of said controller and a second projecting portionof the same actuator moves 'into said path and is adapted to be movedtherefrom upon the movement of said controller in the reverse direction.

2. In an electric switch, a body of insulating material formed withspaced cavities, stationary contacts at spaced points, movable contactsin each of said cavities adapted to contact certain of said stationarycontacts, contact actuators in each of said cavities and includingspaced projections of insulating material which alternately project fromsaid cavities in the end positions of said actuators, means mountingsaid actuators for limited rotary movement, a controller for saidactuators slidably mounted on said body and adapted to contact saidprojecting portions of said actuators, a lever pivoted to said bodyextending past said controller in sliding contact therewith and adaptedto move said controller upon said body upon being itself pivoted,characterized in that the movement of said controller while in contactwith a projection of said actuator eiects the movement of the movablecontact connected to that actuator to a new position and the removal ofthat projection from the path of the controller and the movement of asecond projection on the same actuator into that path.

3. In an electric switch provided with a body and with a plurality ofsnap-action contacts, a plurality of pivoted actuators each connected toa movable contact and adapted to convey an actuating force thereto, asliding controller on said body including portions extended into theorbits of said actuators, said actuators being constructed and arrangedto contact said controller portions to receive pivoting force therefrom,the actuator-contacting portions of said controller being spaced adistance unequal to the distance separating the pivotal centers of saidactuators to permit of independent or sequential movement of saidactuators.

4. In an electric switch having a body and a plurality of movablecontacts, a plurality of actuators pivoted about spaced parallel axesand each connected to a movable contact and adapted to convey anactuating force thereto, stops on said actuators limiting the pivotalmovement thereof, a sliding controller on said body including portionsextended into the orbits of said actuators, said actuators beingrecessed to mesh with said portions, the actuator-contacting portions ofsaid controller being spaced a distance unequal to the distanceseparating the pivotal centers of said actuators to permit ofindependent or sequential movement of said actuators.

5. The construction recited by the preceding claim in which a handle ispivoted to said body and is connected to said controller in order thatsaid controller may be manually operated.

DONALD G. SMELLIE.

